Snowbound
by R011ingThunder
Summary: Game-plan: Trap the leads in a cave and injure one of them. (Hey, it worked for Suzanne Collins, right?) Gray's solo mission becomes a job for two when Erza tags along. Being stuck on Mount Hakobe should give them plenty of time to get things figured out, right? [Mazeverse] Predominantly Grayza, minor Gruvia and Jerza.
1. Trapped

_This is the story of Lyon, who's head-over-heels for Juvia, who's pining after Gray, who's had a secret crush on Erza (basically since forever), but she's completely oblivious because she's totally in love with Jellal. Of Freed, who feels conflicted over his feelings for Mirajane who's ignoring him because she's not over Laxus who still misses what they used to have (even though he's mostly, completely over it). Of Loke who won't give up even though he knows that he has zero chance with Lucy, even though she's sick and tired of clueless, bone-headed Natsu who doesn't understand why there's a problem.  
_

 _This is the Mazeverse series, a_ _post-Tenrou AU with pairings galore. Gruvia, Lyvia, Grayza, Jerza, Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares._ _This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)_

* * *

 **Happy Friday!** ** **I'm really blown away by the support of _Serenade,_ _Secret Valentin_ e and _Always._ You guys are awesome! ****

**Just a warning, as some of you have started to notice, I'm kind of into getting people so close it hurts and tearing them back apart in the messiest way possible. It's all about the heartache, guys! Don't get comfortable. The storm's a-brewin' and we're in for rough waters... ;)  
**

 **I've sent everyone else PMs, but to my guest reviewers on _Secret Valentine_ :**

 **Darling Spider : I'm glad it worked out! I'm actually don't particularly like Lisanna (actually, there are a lot of characters that I actively dislike), but it's important to me to be as fair and sympathetic to all of them as possible.  
**

 **And _Always:_**

 **Guest : Always nice to talk to a long time reader! Actually, I like a lot of pairings, but I don't always write the same ones. I consider _Silence_ to be my Gruvia fic. I want use Mazeverse to give Juvia a different story.  
**

 **Guest : Thank you! I don't I've ever been so pleased to make someone cry...does that make me sound like a terrible person? ;P  
**

 **Kaat : lol! Thanks a bunch!**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

It was a Saturday.

It was also Valentine's Day.

Gray and Erza were out together. Alone. And to Erza, that wasn't an unpleasant notion, in and of itself.

But they were also on Mount Hakobe. And that was a far less pleasing notion.

A few days ago, Erza had found Fairy Tail's resident Ice Mage picking over the jobs on the Request Board. Apparently, Gray wanted to make good on his boast that he'd be on a solo job on Valentine's Day. He _claimed_ that he wasn't going to let Natsu get the last laugh.

Erza only had the vaguest recollection of the incident, herself. She highly doubted that Natsu would remember anything of the sort. Personally, Erza suspected that Gray had other reasons for skipping town, namely, one ex-Phantom Water Mage whose affections were dwarfed only by her persistence.

But Erza didn't say anything. She knew better than to press the issue. Gray was a private person by nature. Years of friendship had taught her that it was far simpler to either support his endeavors or stay out of his way. In this case, she committed to the former.

With a quick glance at the board, Erza could tell there weren't any jobs that were appropriate for one mage to complete on his own, even one as strong as Gray was. Unfortunately, like most men, Gray had rather unrealistic views of his own strength. He refused to learn his lesson, no matter how many times she beat him up.

Erza wasn't comfortable leaving Gray to recognize his own limits. It wasn't that Erza was worried, per se. Gray was quite the capable wizard. But as de facto leader, she had a responsibility to ensure her team's safety. That was all. So when he chose this job on Mount Hakobe, she obviously had no choice but to invite herself along.

And now she was glad she had.

Erza untangled herself from where she had landed in a heap on the floor. The stone beneath her sent a chill straight to her core. She had held up pretty well during the trek up the mountain, but it had been hours since they had been someplace that was a reasonable temperature, and the warming potions she had taken were starting to wear off. She tried not to shiver.

She sat up slowly, making sure she was in one piece. Nothing hurt, so that was a good sign. Blinking, she waited for her eyes to adjust. Most people would have said that the room was pitch black, but for Erza, there was just enough light for her artificial eye to make out the outline of her surroundings. After a few seconds, her right eye was able to make out the outline of her companion picking himself up off the ground.

"Gray?"

"Well, that went well." She couldn't see his expression, but she didn't need to. She could hear the lack of amusement in his dry tone.

"Are you unharmed?" she asked.

Gray didn't answer right away. "...Sure. You?"

"Yeah." Erza nodded. "I'm fine."

"Your magic?" he asked.

"Gone," confirmed Erza, her voice even. She didn't regret her actions. She had known the risks and taken them willingly.

"Sorry… That's gotta suck," he said, sounding a little guilty.

"Don't be. This is just how I planned it."

"But, still…" he protested.

Erza and Gray had accepted a job to hunt down a wyvern that lived near the peak of Mount Hakobe. But this was no ordinary wyvern. This one had the ability to completely drain a mage's magic.

Typically, the strategy for any monster hunt was to surround the target and hit it from all sides. But, with this particular wyvern, that would have been foolish. If they had both engaged him, they would both have lost their powers, and that would left them defenseless. Erza quickly realized that they could minimize their losses if only one person fought the monster.

Of course, Erza knew she was the logical choice. Her armor allowed her to fly, so she'd stand a better chance against the wyvern than Gray would. The versatility of his Maker Magic would be better used getting them off the mountain. Besides, they were on Mount Hakobe, where Gray would be in his element. Literally.

Despite Gray's adamant opposition, there was no other solution. Gray's magic would be more useful after the battle than Erza's would. That meant that Erza would be the one to sacrifice her magic. But it had been _unpleasant_ getting her magic sucked dry. And being powerless made Erza feel a little vulnerable.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked.

"Under the Wyvern's lair, I think. My last attack brought the entire network of caves crashing down," she said, unable to keep a hint of pride from entering her voice.

Gray nodded. "Well done, by the way," he added.

"And now it's your turn," said Erza. "Where do we go from here?"

"Not sure. Maybe if I could see my hand in front of my face…" he muttered.

"I had some matches, but I don't see my bag."

"Mine's around here somewhere." Gray fumbled around, left hand sweeping the ground.

"Keep going... Ah, back the other way," said Erza.

"Can you actually see in this?" he groused.

"Better than you, it seems."

"Got it." Gray pulled his backpack towards himself. He stopped with a jerk, his expression tight.

"What is it?"

"Think you can catch in the dark? There's a flashlight in the front pocket if you can find it."

It was an odd request from someone who had already located his bag, but Erza didn't comment on it. From the looks of it, Gray was operating completely blind. Despite her limited vision, she probably _did_ have a better chance of finding things than he would. Even if it was _his_ bag.

"I'm ready," she said.

With a stiff jerk, Gray tossed the bag towards the sound of Erza's voice. It careened in an uncontrolled arc, landing short with a thud.

Gray cringed. "Sorry…"

"Quite the throw," said Erza mildly. She reached for the bag, unzipping the front pocket.

"Well, excuse me for not being able to see in the dark," he said testily.

Privately, Erza didn't think the low lighting should have affected Gray's coordination that badly, but she refrained from commenting.

Her fingers closed around cold metal. "Found it."

A flip of the switch brought the room into view. Erza could see the clouds her breath formed. She turned slowly, directing the beam toward the wall. Her throat tightened as her fears were confirmed.

Dull stone surrounded them on all sides.

"There's… no way out of here."

High above them, the gaping maw of the cavern teased them. If she had her armor, they'd be able to fly up, maybe look for an exit on the floor above. But without it, it was too high to reach.

"Bring that light over here," said Gray, waving her over. His movements were jerky and Erza couldn't help but notice how stiff he seemed. "This used to lead somewhere," he said.

He pointed to what looked like a collapsed archway. Erza could feel the chill emanating from the outside air. The debris was thick, but the tiniest bit of light managed to come through. It had been just enough for her to see by.

"But it's caved in," said Erza.

"I'm trying to figure out if we can dig our way out," said Gray, head tipped in thought.

"You think you can move two tons of rock?" asked Erza.

"I don't know if it's quite two tons," said Gray absently. He frowned, his left hand tightened around his opposite shoulder, distracted fingers working at the joint.

Erza was surprised that Gray hadn't tried to blast his way out with his ice cannon yet. Still, it would be best to head that one off before he proposed it.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Erza. "These caves don't seem to be very stable. That might bring the ceiling down on us."

"What ceiling?" asked Gray, pointing upwards. "There ain't nothing left to bring down. Come on, give me a hand."

Gray bent over, starting to sift through the rubble. He broke off with a hiss, his left hand flying back to clasp at his shoulder again. "Okay. Guess that's not going to work," he ground out, grimacing.

"Gray, what's the matter?" Erza asked sharply.

"I think… I think my shoulder's messed up," Gray admitted with a wince. "I musta landed on it wrong when we fell."

It all made sense now. The sloppy throw. Gray's request for her to dig through his backpack. The fact that he hadn't used Ice-Make magic to try and get them out of there.

Gray had been avoiding the use of his right arm.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" demanded Erza.

"It's not like we were gonna be able to see anything. Getting a light was our first priority."

Erza let out an impatient huff. "Let's see how bad it is," she said, guiding him to a seated position.

Gray started to shrug his jacket off. He hissed, face screwing up in discomfort when he jostled the injured joint. Erza helped him to maneuver out of the garment, easing the sleeve off the useless limb.

"The shirt has to come off too."

Gray bit back a groan.

"Never thought I'd see the day," said Erza, trying to keep her tone light. "Normally, you'd be more than happy be rid of your shirt."

"First time for everything," muttered Gray. His shoulder protruded awkwardly from its socket, leaving the rest of his arm to hang limp. It was already starting to swell.

"It looks dislocated," Erza observed, reaching to assist.

Gray jerked back, twisting away from her. "What are you doing?"

"It's only going to get worse if you leave it like that."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna let you anywhere near it," he said, curling in on himself protectively.

"Are you saying I'm incapable of reducing a dislocated shoulder?" she asked testily. She brought a fist to her palm in irritation, her knuckles cracking loudly.

"No, I'm saying you don't know your own strength."

Erza glared. She had never been so insulted to be called strong.

" _Erza_ ," said Gray, a warning in his tone. "Just let it go, okay?"

"Fine. I will." Erza let out an irritated breath through her teeth. "Do whatever you want. It makes no difference to me." Erza got to her feet, crossing the cave with purposeful strides. She wanted to put some distance between them. She folded her arms over her chest, stilling another shiver.

Then Erza sighed, shaking her head. This wasn't the time to be bickering. They needed to get out of here.

Erza looked back at her friend worriedly. His pallor was frightening, and she could see the way his chest rose and fell with shallow, measured breaths. She suspected that Gray's shoulder was bothering him more than he was willing to admit.

"Sorry…" sighed Gray, letting himself sag back against the wall with a soft grunt. His eyes fluttered shut. "I don't mean to take this out on you. This just… sucks, y'know?"

"I know. I didn't mean what I said either," said Erza quietly.

"So, what now?" asked Gray. "I don't think I'm moving any more rocks."

"I agree. It would be pointless to continue," observed Erza. "Your shoulder isn't going to fix itself and I can't do much without my magic. We have to accept the fact that we're both out of commission at present."

"This is a long shot, but are you getting service on your lacrima?" he asked.

Erza shook her head. "That was the first thing I checked."

"Mine's in my bag if you want to try."

"We're in a cave, Gray. I doubt it's going to get much better," said Erza. "I suppose we'll have to wait until my magic regenerates." Erza settled on the floor of the cave, tucking her legs under her. The floor might as well have been made of ice, the way it sent chills up her spine.

"Or hope that Lucy and the Flame Brain decide to come looking for us."

"Yes," said Erza. "That's the plan."

"That's the plan," Gray agreed quietly.

And so, the wait began.

* * *

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Snowbound,_** **Gray and Erza aren't content to sit and wait:** _"I'm sorry we're stuck out here. I'm so freakin' useless," he muttered._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. Useless

**Happy Friday! I appreciate how supportive all of you are being about my exploring other ships. I get bored really easily, so I like to switch it up. I'm working on a Natza fic, right now. It's a fun challenge, since I don't actually ship them. If anybody here does (or did), drop me a note letting me know what your favorite part of their dynamic is. I'm stuck and could use some pointers.  
**

 **Guest : This one's for you! ;)**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Gray braced his right arm, pushing up on his elbow slightly. He had hoped he could take some of the pressure off his injured shoulder, but it didn't seem to be helping. He inhaled slowly, trying to ignore how the pain was steadily ratcheting its way from a persistent ache to what was promising to be full-on agony.

Just how long had they been trapped?

Erza was shivering. She was curled up in the corner by herself, acting as if none of this bothered her. Gray could tell that she was only pretending. It was obvious how cold and miserable she was. She was just too proud to say anything about it. As always.

Gray let out a huff as guilt twisted his chest. This was _his_ fault. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't even be out here!

"What's the matter?" she asked suddenly. Her features drawn into an anxious frown.

"Eh?" Gray jumped, startled. But he pulled his expression together quickly. "Nothing. Why?"

"You keep looking over this way."

He'd forgotten how sharp her eyes were. Most normal people wouldn't have noticed, even with their sad little flashlight on. Of course, Erza wasn't _normal_.

Gray shrugged with one shoulder. "It's nothing."

Erza didn't respond, but Gray was sure she was wearing _that_ look again. The one that with the narrowed eyes and pursed lips that she used when she wasn't about to let him get away with something.

"I'm sorry we're stuck out here. I'm so freakin' useless," he muttered. Being trapped was starting to make him feel like a caged animal.

Erza looked up, startled. "You're not useless, Gray," she said, shaking her head.

"Yes, I am. I was _supposed_ to be your backup," he spat. "But without my arm I can't do anything! And now we're stuck here." He resisted the impulse to slam his fist into the wall behind him. That would probably be a stupid thing to do, given how badly his shoulder was throbbing.

"Just how is that your fault?" demanded Erza. "I'm the one who caved us in. And I'm the reason you're hurt."

"Oh, don't start, Erza!" said Gray. "Stop trying to blame yourself for everything that happens. You don't have to take on the world, you know."

"And I would tell you the same," Erza replied firmly.

Gray snorted. Erza did have a point, but that didn't change the situation they were in. "I know you're trying to make me feel better and stuff, but it ain't workin,'" he said.

"Surely, there's something worth smiling about," insisted Erza.

Gray scowled. "Yeah? If there's an upside, I'm not seeing it. But _please_ , feel free to share."

Erza looked thoughtful. "Well, it's Valentine's Day!" she pointed out. Her face pulled into a starry-eyed smile. "Surely that's something to be happy about."

Normally, Gray would have found the unguarded expression on Erza's face endearing, but at the moment, it only made him feel worse.

"What is there to be happy about? It's Valentine's Day and you're trapped in a _cave_. With _me_."

"You know, there's no place I'd rather be," Erza offered softly.

" _Really_?" asked Gray, arching an eyebrow. "You really need to get out more."

"What would be better than catching up with an old friend?" said Erza warmly.

Gray scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"All right. Well, it certainly could be _worse_ ," suggested Erza, seemingly oblivious to his disdain.

"How could things be any worse?" asked Gray with an exasperated sigh.

"Neither of us is seriously injured. And _you_ still have all of your magic," Erza pointed out.

Gray's gave her a sardonic smile. "And it's doing us a whole lot of good right now," he deadpanned.

Gingerly, he forced his hand to form a fist, ignoring lancing pain the movement awakened. Bringing his good hand up to rest against his knuckles, Gray directed a misshapen blast of magic toward the floor.

"And _that's_ about all I can do at this point," he said sullenly. "Ice. In the one place where there's no shortage of it," he spat, glowering. The slick of ice glittered in their flashlight's paltry glow.

For once, the cold was not doing him any favors. He had hoped that the chill of the air would help to numb his shoulder like an icepack. But the cold was only making the muscles around the injury tighten. They had started cramping a little bit ago. And it _hurt_.

Erza's lips thinned in disapproval. "You might not be able to use it at the moment, but at least it's still there." She gave him a hard look.

Gray sucked in a breath. "I'm sorry," he said, lowering his gaze. "I'm…not trying to be selfish. This must be way worse for you than it is for me."

Erza shook her head, her expression softening. "I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty, Gray. This was my plan, after all."

"I'm starting to regret making fun of Lyon for his one-handed Ice-Make. If he were here, he'd just blast you outta here. And if you were trapped with the Pyro, he'd be able to keep you warm, at least." Gray gave a frustrated growl. He was so _useless_.

"We can still figure something out."

Gray chuckled humorlessly. "If you feel like slipping on some ice, let me know."

"We'll figure something out," Erza repeated.

Gray sighed again. "Yeah."

This time, Erza sighed too, her breath forming clouds. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing at them absently.

"Are you cold?" he asked finally. He didn't know how much longer he could watch her suffer like that.

She looked away, shrugging noncommittally. "If I had any magic left, I'd Requip into my jacket," she admitted.

Gray reached for his jacket, still on the ground where he had left it earlier. He hauled himself to his feet, stifling a groan as the movement jostled his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Here." Gray dropped his jacket around Erza's shoulders before returning to his spot. He'd be able to do this much for her, at least.

Erza looked up in surprise.

"Better than nothing," he said.

"But, _you'll_ be cold," protested Erza.

"I'll be fine." Gray wasn't impervious to the elements and a decade in sunny Magnolia had acclimated him to warmer weather. Still, he had a higher tolerance than most, thanks to his Master's training techniques. He could afford to make Erza a priority.

"But shouldn't you—"

Gray cut her off. "I'm not going to be able to get it back on," he said, gesturing towards his injured arm. "Wasn't planning on wearing it anyways."

"…Thank you." Erza slipped her arms through the sleeves with a grateful smile.

Gray's jacket hung loose over Erza's frame. He had never realized how small Erza really was. With her independent personality and fearsome abilities, she had always seemed larger than life.

A feeling of protectiveness surged through Gray's chest.

Erza turned her head, hiding her face behind the high collar of his jacket. She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes with a smile.

"Um, what are you doing?" he asked.

Erza's eyes flew open. "Nothing. This is just…warmer this way."

"Right…" Gray chuckled to himself, a smirk pulling at his lips.

Seeing Erza wear something of _his_ sparked an odd sense of pride. It just looked _right_ , somehow.

"Hey, Erza?"

"Hm?"

"Happy Valentine's Day," said Gray, with a sarcastic wave at their surroundings.

Erza choked out a startled laughed. "Yeah. You too."

* * *

 ** **I took some liberties with Gray's injury.** I've never actually dislocated anything (and I hope not to...it really doesn't sound like fun). With the first-hand accounts that I found online, I was getting the whole spectrum of severity, so I kind of had to guess. I figure he's hurting enough that he's miserable (and snippy) but not so much he can't carry a conversation. **

**Gray's been apologizing a lot in the last couple of chapters, which might feel weird to some readers. Mazeverse-Gray is the kind of person who runs his mouth, but is self-aware enough to feel bad about it afterwards.** **In previous stories, after could have been days or weeks later, because he'll avoid dealing with the issue as long as possible, (like he does in _Anniversary_ , where he basically promises to make up for sniping at Natsu and Juvia at an unspecified later date; in _Snowbound_ , guilt sets in pretty quick, mostly because there's no where else to go and no one else to talk to but Erza.) I headcannon that one of the ways that Gray handles guilt (at least in Mazeverse) is to be extra nice to people, almost like an apology. When Mazeverse-Gray is being nice, pay extra attention. Is he being proactive (genuinely nice) or reactive (apology nice)?  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Snowbound,_** **a little TLC, Erza-style:** _"You just going to pop it back in?" he asked warily, his voice low._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Tactics

**Happy Friday! Thanks for all the reviews! I would definitely love to keep hearing from you guys.**

 **Darling spider : lol! Wait until I break out my Gray X Flare Corona one-shot. I'll have you shipping them too! ;) ******I love the idea that the world is full of possibilities.** I'm actually really flattered that this little fic could make you pause and consider the a different ship, even for a couple of seconds.  
**

 **Guest : Thanks a bunch! This chapter's for you! ...And everyone else who was looking for some Grayza fluff this Friday.**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Erza brought her knees up to her chest. She was surprised by how warm Gray's jacket was. For somebody who seemed to prefer not wearing anything at all, he certainly knew how to select good quality clothing.

She shot a glance at him from across the cave. His too-pale features had settled into a pinched look, almost like a grimace. Gray had to have been in a great deal of pain if he wasn't bothering to hide it anymore.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Sorta. Not really." Gray shifted unsteadily into a crouch, jaw clenched. What little color he still had drained from his face. Slowly, he sidled up to the wall, positioning his injured shoulder against it.

"What are you doing?" asked Erza with a concerned frown.

"Just… gimme a sec," he mumbled. He took a deep breath.

"You're not trying to fix your shoulder, are you?" Erza demanded.

He looked up at her, his face tight with pain. Erza could see the steely glint of determination in Gray's eyes.

"It's actually starting to really hurt now," he said tersely. "I can't wait any longer. I _have_ to try to pop it back in myself."

"By ramming it into a wall?" she asked, unamused.

"That's the plan."

Erza shook her head. "Now I _know_ you aren't thinking straight."

"I've seen Natsu do it before. How bad could it be?"

"Natsu's stunts are often ill-advised. This sounds like one of them." Erza sighed. "Gray, would it really be that bad for me to take a look at it?"

His only response was a wary scowl.

Erza put up her hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not promising anything, but I'd imagine it'd hurt less than slamming yourself into a wall."

Gray sighed. "…fine. Just…go easy, okay?"

"All right, I promise," she said in what she hoped was a soothing tone. She got up and moved towards him slowly. It was almost like approaching a wild animal. She sank down next to him. Cautiously, Erza reached out, laying a hand on his arm.

Gray whimpered, jerking away with a glare.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I'm trying to be gentle."

"It's not _that_."

"What, then?" she asked.

"Your hands are _freezing_ ," he complained.

"I thought the cold didn't bother you."

"Normally it wouldn't, but my shoulder hurts," he huffed.

"Well, it's freezing in here!" she snapped. "I don't know what you want me to do."

Gray rolled his eyes. "You coulda just said something, you know." He reached for her hands with his good one, catching her fingers in his palm. "This tends to work better with two hands, but whatever."

Immediately, Erza could feel her stiff fingers thawing from the heat of Gray's hand. Her eyes widened.

"Somethin' wrong?" he asked.

"You're _warm_ ," Erza mumbled. Her face was heating up as quickly as her fingers.

His mouth quirked in vague amusement. "You say that like it's a surprise. It's not like you've never sparred with me before."

Erza looked away. "I never really thought about it. I mean, Natsu calls you Ice Block, so I just assumed…"

"Just because I'm an Ice Mage doesn't mean I'm cold blooded," said Gray. "You good now?"

Erza nodded. "I'm ready. Sit up straight for me."

Erza thought back to the first-aid class that she and some of the Fairy Hills girls had taken. Porlyusica had shown them some procedures that would be helpful when they were out on jobs. One of the topics was how to reduce minor dislocations.

While Natsu's brute-force method was certainly valid, Erza seemed to recall a technique that was significantly less traumatic. If she could coax his muscles into relaxing, Erza was confident that she could slip Gray's shoulder back into place. She'd just have to distract him long enough to do it.

"You just going to pop it back in?" he asked warily, his voice low.

"Not just yet," she said. "I need to examine it first." Erza took hold of Gray's wrist, making a show of looking it over.

Erza extended his injured arm slowly, raising it to rest on her shoulder. She could feel the way the muscles around Gray's shoulders had seized up, an involuntary defense mechanism to his displaced shoulder joint.

"Does that hurt?" she asked.

Gray didn't answer, responding with a question of his own. "What are you gonna do?"

"Would you relax?" said Erza.

"I _am_ relaxed!" he growled.

"No, you're not." Erza kneaded at Gray's bicep with both hands. "This is _not_ relaxed. You're scared, aren't you?" she added, trying to sound casual.

Gray yelped as Erza dug into his arm. "Who's scared? I just - ow! - want to avoid hurting if I can help it," he hissed.

She ignored him, continue to divert his attention as she rubbed at his arm. "And you're saying it doesn't hurt now?"

He swallowed hard before taking a shallow breath. "Well, no, it does. And I don't need you making it worse." Erza could see the way he his jaw clenched when she worked her way up his arm. "I'm in enough pain without you adding to it."

"Excuse me?!" said Erza shrilly. "Are you calling me a pain?" she huffed.

"I didn't say—" Gray broke off with a gasp, swearing loudly. "Would you ease up?!" he snarled.

"Honestly, Gray. Has anyone ever told you your posture is atrocious?" It wasn't particularly true, but Gray looked like he needed the distraction.

" _What?_ It's not -ow! It's not _that_ bad," he said.

"I thought I told you to sit up straight," she nagged. "I'm not going to be able to do anything about this shoulder of yours if you're hunched over like that."

Gray shifted. "Better?" he asked, his voice still tight.

Erza could feel the tension in Gray's arm dissolving under her thumbs. She moved her hands to start working the muscle along the top of Gray's shoulder.

"You _always_ slouch," she accused, working firm circles into his shoulder with her thumbs. She could feel the stubborn tendons loosening under the rhythmic motions. A little more and she'd be able to coax his shoulder back into place.

"Do _not_."

"Yes, you do. You're hunched over again, see? And I thought I told you to keep your arm up," she said with a disapproving frown. Erza used the pretense of repositioning Gray to work directly on the misaligned joint.

Gray muffled groan, his eyes squeezing shut as she increased the pressure on his shoulder.

Erza let out an exasperated sigh. She braced his shoulder with one hand as she adjusted his arm with the other. "I don't know what you expect me to do to help if _you_ can't even—"

Erza felt Gray's shoulder slide back into position.

She froze, her eyes going wide. "I think it worked!" she said, letting out a breathy laugh in relief.

"Did you just…" Gray's shook his head in slack-jawed disbelief as Erza levered his arm gently. Gray's tone turned accusatory. "That whole time… you _planned_ that."

"How does that feel?" she asked anxiously.

"That was…weird." Gray complained, a frown pulling at his features. "And just plain sneaky."

"The word for it is _tactics_ ," said Erza smugly. "But it doesn't hurt anymore, right?" She brought his hand to his chest, letting him cradle it against his torso. "Hold that."

"…No. I… I guess it doesn't," he confirmed. "I mean, it's still kind of sore, but that was… _okay_ , I guess."

Erza smiled at his complement. "And probably better than running into a wall?"

Gray made a face. "You win, all right?" he said. Then his eyes shot towards the collapsed cave entrance. It was completely dark out now. Not even the barest traces of light were coming through the cracks between the rubble. "So, does that mean I can-" Gray started to say.

"You'll make it worse if you use it right now," interrupted Erza, putting a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Look, I'll be careful. I just want to—"

"You're _not_ moving it. It's probably best if we get it tied up. Where's that shirt of yours? No, sit down. I'll get it."

"Erza, it's not that big a deal. I can get my own—"

" _Sit_." She didn't want him trying to play the hero, not after she had finally gotten him patched up.

Gray huffed but did as he was told. He stayed quiet as she carefully fashioned his shirt into a sling, tying it securely around his neck. When she was finished, Erza sat back, pleased with her handiwork.

"You _sure_ you don't want me to bust us outta here?" he asked again. He tugged at the knot holding his sling together. "We've been here for _hours_."

"Don't fuss with that," she scolded.

"I swear, Erza!" he said with a breathy chuckle.

" _Problem_?" she asked sharply, annoyance coloring her voice.

"No, ma'am." Gray raised a hand in surrender, but he couldn't disguise the grin that pulled at his lips.

* * *

 **So, according to Google, what Erza does here is legit. It's called the Cunningham Technique. I watched two YouTube videos where doctors demonstrate it works. But that's basically all I know about it, so don't try this at home. Seriously. Don't. :)  
**

 ** **I've seen a lot of other authors head-cannon that Natsu is probably warmer than a normal person and that Gray's likely colder. That doesn't quite ring true to me. If Gray's already got sub-human body temperatures, he'd get cold faster than a normal person, and his body would probably just shut down when it gets too cold (like a lizard). Therefore, he's got to have a warmer-than-normal temperature so he has heat to spare when it gets cold. Plus it makes sense that being warm (as opposed to cold) would help with his molding magic. If you've got a block of chocolate, you can't do much to it when it's cold (except maybe break it), but if you heat it up a little, you can start to reshape it and turn it into fancy decorations like long, curly chocolate shavings that go on top of fancy desserts. That's my theory, at least.****

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Snowbound,_** **a trip down memory lane turns serious:** _"No, no. It's fine," said Gray quickly. "Just, wow. Memories, right?"_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	4. Oblivious

**Happy Friday! This chapter is sort of an alternate take to Gray and Erza's balcony scene in GMG (which never happened in this 'verse).  
**

 **Also, last week I got an interesting question about how I can write all these different ships at the same time. It might surprise you to learn that I am not actually a multishipper. I like a small, finite number of very specific things, but I'll write whatever (within reason). That comes from the fact that I used to make Visual Novels, or VNs.  
**

 **If you're not familiar, a VN is an interactive story, typically with a (playable) protagonist and multiple potential romantic interests. Each romantic interest has their own route...a version of the story that shows the way that things _could_ have worked out. As a result, I've gotten very comfortable with thinking about multiple potential pairings for any character. That's really by necessity; I needed to write a variety of ships that appeal to a lot of different people, not just me. It wasn't always easy to create equally good stories for characters and pairings that I'm not interested by (and sometimes actively dislike), but I've gotten to the point where I'm comfortable with it.  
**

 **Most VNs have a 'True Ending.' For a plot-driven story, the True Ending is the one that ties up all the loose ends. For a character-driven story, the True Ending might be the often one with the greatest emotional intensity, the one that the author was most invested in (because they had a favorite character) or just the longest one. For Mazeverse, I wanted to give us the longest possible story, tease as many ships as possible, and create the most character conflict, heartbreak, and relationship carnage while still being able to reasonably fix it up in the end. To do that, I had to challenge my preconceptions, get a little creative, and sink a** ** **couple of my own ships in the process. (I consider it a necessary sacrifice.)** I'm probably going to get flack for this, but we're not going to end up with all the canon pairings in Mazeverse. As much as I respect all of your OTPs and how much development Mashima has given them...he's already done all that in canon. And unless I can do something significantly different, or somehow add depth or another perspective, I don't see the point in trying to recreate that. Plus, the FT fandom isn't lacking in good fic/art/videos of canon stuff; there are a lot of awesome creators out there who can do canon-compliant way better than I can. This is my chance to be creative, go against the grain, and do something _interesting_ (and maybe a little bit crazy).  
**

 **There. I said it. I feel liberated now. ;)**

 **guest : Thanks a bunch! I'm glad I continue to entertain. :)  
**

 **darling spider : lol! I love the dynamic these two have. It's so much fun to write. Thanks for stopping by!**

 **guest : Thank you for your review! Between these two and Natsu & Lucy, I can only imagine how much fun Team Natsu would have on their missions.**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Gray had to admit that this was nice. It sure beat sitting with his back against a stone wall.

Erza was leaned up against him. After he had thawed out her fingers, Erza seemed reluctant to give up using Gray as a heat source. He didn't want to make things awkward by making a big deal about it, so he let her stay. Now, they were sitting back-to-back, pressed together for warmth.

"Flame Brain is taking an awful long time," complained Gray. "What a way to waste a weekend…"

"It seems like we only ever spend time together because of missions," mused Erza.

"And every single one ends up going south on us."

"What do you mean?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"We go to Akane Resort and you get kidnapped. We visit another world, and we meet our evil twins. We go on an island getaway, and we end up getting suspended in time," said Gray, ticking each example off on his fingers.

"An island getaway? Oh, you mean Tenrou," said Erza.

"Yeah, what else?"

"I thought you might have been talking about Galuna," said Erza. "I guess you might have forgotten about that one."

"How could I have forgotten something like that?" asked Gray, his fingers reaching to trace the raised scar above his eyebrow. "We ran into Lyon. You threatened me with a sword. Best trip ever."

Gray felt Erza flinch, shaking her head. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean—"

"No, no. It's fine," said Gray quickly. "Just, wow. Memories, right?"

"Yeah. Memories," echoed Erza. She let out sigh, but it didn't sound like a happy one.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," offered Gray. "You know that, right?"

"Neither would I," said Erza. "But it makes me almost wish we had some memories that _weren't_ like that. Maybe we could take a trip just for fun or something."

"Yeah?" asked Gray. "Where would you want to go?"

"The seaside," said Erza, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "We'd go swimming, build sandcastles, stay in a little beach house… Just us."

"Just us?" repeated Gray, his face growing uncomfortably warm. Gray wasn't sure what it was about the idea of a trip with Erza that appealed to him. But the fact that it did? That scared him a little.

"Yes. You. Me," said Erza. "Natsu. Lucy. And Happy." Erza sighed contentedly. "Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"Yeah… perfect." Inexplicable disappointment weighed heavy in his chest.

"So, is that a yes?" asked Erza.

"Hm?"

"Is that a yes? To us going to the beach once we get out of here?"

Gray arched a brow. Erza wasn't one to ask approval. Normally, she did whatever she wanted and expected the rest of the team to follow.

It was nice that she cared about his opinion.

"I'm in," he said, grin spreading. "I think you and I deserve a break after this job."

"I'm holding you to it," said Erza.

Gray hummed in agreement. "Sounds like fun."

A comfortable silence stretched between them.

"How long do you think it'll take them to get worried about us?" asked Erza.

Gray gave a lopsided shrug. "Lucy? Maybe a day or so if she's not working on her novel. If it were up to Natsu…we'd be here a while."

"I think you'd be surprised." Erza leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder.

"You think?"

"Natsu is far more perceptive than you give him credit for."

" _Natsu?_ " Gray's brows furrowed in disbelief. "C'mon, Erza. He has got to be the most oblivious person I know."

Gray felt Erza stifle a chuckle. "You really can't think of _anyone_ else in our guild more oblivious?" she asked, her voice teasing.

Gray pulled a wry face. Erza was pretty oblivious herself, but Gray was smart enough not to call her out on it. "All right, I can think of one or two," he said simply.

He could feel Erza shaking her head in fond exasperation. "Really, Gray. If it were a competition, I think you and Natsu would tie for that one."

Was the pot calling the kettle black? But that was the least of his concerns.

"If it _were_ a competition, I'd gladly let him win," Gray growled. He was _not_ about to let himself be compared to that fire-breathing lunatic. "Just because I don't go around with my heart on my sleeve doesn't make me oblivious. I am nowhere near as clueless as that Ash-for-Brains loser."

"I can think of plenty of situations where your reactions have missed the mark," commented Erza gently.

"Name one."

Erza didn't hesitate. "How about anything involving Juvia?"

Gray groaned, leaning forward to put his head in his hand. "You just had to go and bring her up, didn't ya?" he said.

"Stop moving," she said, her tone rebuking the loss of warmth.

"Sorry, my bad." He straightened.

She moved to lean against him again. "She's a nice girl, Gray."

"There are a lot of nice girls out there," he said neutrally.

"And it's obvious she has feelings for you," said Erza. She shifted again, trying to make herself comfortable.

"Really? I couldn't tell," he retorted. Gray wondered if Erza realized how awkward it was for her to be pushing him to resolve things with Juvia when she was snuggling up against him like this.

And she thought _he_ was oblivious.

"See, _this_ is exactly what I'm talking about," said Erza.

"Chill out. I was joking, okay?" sighed Gray. "Look, can we not talk about this?" he asked. "I came all the way out to Mount Hakobe to get _away_ from all of that."

"You can't keep running away from your problems."

Gray clenched his jaw. "Watch me."

"At least try to give her a chance."

"Let me handle her, okay?" Gray sighed. "Hey, Erza. Are you really sure you don't want me to try digging us out?" he asked again.

"We've been over this, Gray."

"All right, all right."

* * *

 **Now we've got Gray's take on Juvia. Next time we flip the tables and Erza weighs in on Jellal.  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Snowbound,_** **it's lights out:** _Zip. Darkness._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Darkness

**Happy Friday! I wanted to thank those who reached out to offer support in reviews and PMs last week. I'm grateful for everyone's support as I work through where this story needs to go and where I want to go as a writer. :)  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

The flashlight flickered.

Erza's eyes widened.

"Is that…"

Zip.

Darkness.

 _Shackles and shouting. Another time and place. Shackles and shouting and darkness._

"Look's like the flashlight's out," said Gray. "We really have been here a long time."

 _Arms bound behind her. Pain in her right eye. Blasting through her brain. Ricocheting through her skull._

 _Darkness._

 _Complete darkness._

"It's dark…" mumbled Erza.

"…Yeah, 'cause the flashlight's out," said Gray.

Erza pressed closer to Gray.

"Erza. What's the matter?"

"It's nothing." She couldn't keep her breath from catching in her throat. Her lungs felt like they were on fire.

"I know I can't see, but it really doesn't sound like nothing."

Erza shook her head, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Erza, you're not afraid of the dark, are you?" he asked, his voice light.

Erza didn't answer right away. She couldn't tell if he was teasing or not.

But she trusted Gray implicitly. She always had.

"It's silly, I know," she mumbled finally, her voice high and breathy.

Gray didn't answer right away. But when he did, he sounded concerned. "No, it's not," he said quietly.

"You're just saying that."

"No, I mean it. You know, I could tell you that everyone's afraid of something, but I don't think you'd believe me."

Erza gave a shaky chuckle. Or maybe it was more of a sob. She couldn't tell anymore.

"Why?" asked Gray.

"What?"

"Why?" he repeated. "I've seen you take on all kinds of stuff with no problem. It was pretty dark when we were on Galuna too, wasn't it? And earlier. How is this different?"

Erza drew a shuddering breath. "Low light and no light are two different things."

Erza felt Gray reaching back with his good hand, fumbling until he found one of hers. He squeezed her fingers, the warmth of his touch radiating all the way to her chest.

She didn't pull away.

"It was dark when we were in the Tower," Erza sighed. "Not completely, but still dark. The first time we tried to escape, we…were unsuccessful. Our group was caught. And I… I was punished."

"By Jellal?" asked Gray, his voice dropping to a growl.

Erza shook her head. "Jellal _protected_ me. He was the one who rescued me. Then he took my place. I would have lost a lot more than an eye if he hadn't sacrificed himself. I owe him."

"Despite everything else that's happened?" muttered Gray.

"I _owe_ him, Gray. He's the reason I'm alive. The reason that any of us survived the Tower of Heaven. He'd always been the leader of our little group, keeping everyone's spirits up and giving us hope. After he was captured…" Erza broke off, swallowing hard.

Erza felt Gray's hand tighten around her fingers again. His grip was strong, encouraging, reassuring.

"It's hard. Not being able to see anything on one side… In the Tower, the weak were preyed upon. Losing an eye…You never know who's coming for you," she whispered. "And the whole time, I just imagined what it would be like if I had lost both of them. To be in complete darkness. Like closing your eyes and not being able to open them again." She shuddered.

* * *

 **I love playing with point-of-view and I'm a big fan of dramatic irony. One of my favorite things about Mazeverse is that we get to see what each of the characters are thinking and how they perceive each other. I worked pretty hard not to make anyone 'wrong.' Everyone is acting with the best of intentions (idealistic, I know). The problem is that one person's idea of innocent may be another person's idea of hurtful. Or a character who is trying to do the right thing is perceived as an obstacle by another. Everyone's wants and needs and values are so different. Those who have read other stories from this universe will have a clearer picture of the collision course we're on (and the sequence of events that brought this about). Keep this in mind as you read on. I mention this specifically because...**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Snowbound,_** **it all falls apart.**

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	6. Clarity

**Happy Friday!**

 **So anyone who thought last week's chapter had an awkwardly abrupt ending has good intuition! I wanted to continue in Gray's PoV instead of Erza's. It wasn't a huge deal when I was planning on posting this entire story at once as a one-shot, but it's a little awkward now that I'm posting each scene separately.**

 **So this picks up right where we left off last week, with Gray and Erza sitting back to back, and traumatic past giving her a little bit of anxiety.  
**

 ** **It might be helpful to mention that I think deliciously beautiful heartache is as compelling as fluffy get-togethers... XD  
****

 ** **darling spider : No worries! :) I do love getting reviews (because it's an opportunity to connect with other FT fans, and it's fun getting to see what y'all think), but I see them as more of a gift than an obligation. I'll always appreciate how you continue to support me. Thanks again!****

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Erza's confession shook him to the core.

"I had forgotten," said Gray. "Is that why you kept to yourself when you first joined the guild?"

"It's… one of the reasons," she said, her voice sounding so small and vulnerable.

He could feel her trembling against his back.

"You're shaking," he muttered.

Gray couldn't stand seeing Erza so insecure. Erza was one of the strongest, most courageous people he knew. And he _hated_ that someone could make her feel this way.

"I… I'm sorry. You probably think I'm silly." Erza gave a nervous laugh.

There was a fluttering in Gray's chest that he couldn't explain.

"Would you stop apologizing already? Geez…" Part of him wanted to hold her. The other part of him, the part that valued his life, knew better than to try something that stupid.

"Gray…" she sighed. "I just…" She broke off again, shaking her head.

The way she said his name made his breath catch. Gray couldn't help himself.

Erza.

Titania.

A woman with a nerve of steel and a will of iron. Even _she_ was afraid sometimes.

And it hurt. It hurt to see her frightened. It hurt to see her hurting. He wished he could take all of that hurt and fear away. But that was impossible. He couldn't change the past.

But there was one thing he could do.

Despite his better judgement, Gray spun to face her. His heart hammered hard against his ribs. He threw his good arm around Erza's shoulders, crushing her against his chest. He ignored how the impact jarred his injured arm, sending a fresh jolt of pain through him.

"Gray? Wha—?"

"Shh. I'm here." He held her close, smoothing her hair. It glided, silky under his calloused fingertips. "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again," he growled. "Never."

"How can you say that?" she asked, voice muffled by the crook of his neck. Her breath ghosted warm across his skin. "The future's uncertain, Gray. Who knows what'll happen to us tomorrow?"

Gray hugged her tighter, trying to put as much strength and support into his embrace as he could muster. "But you've got us now. You think me and Natsu would let anyone do that to you?"

Erza shook her head. He felt her relax, melting into him. He smoothed her hair again.

"Lucy packs a punch too," Gray continued soothingly. "And it's not just us, you know. Cana. Mirajane. Even some of the old guys - Macao, Wakaba, heck, even Gramps. _Especially_ Gramps."

"I've got all of Fairy Tail," whispered Erza.

"All of Fairy Tail," he agreed softly. He took a deep breath. "And you've got me, too," he added.

Gray wasn't quite sure when it had happened, but he had suspected it for a while. Sure, they were teammates. Yeah, they were friends. And of course, he cared about her, just like he did Cana or Lucy or even the Flame Brain. But there was a part of him that knew that it wouldn't be enough.

She was _Erza_. And that meant everything.

 _She_ meant everything.

He felt Erza nod, a wistful sigh escaping her lips. "You always know what to say," she murmured.

Gray swallowed hard. "I don't know about that," said Gray, quirking a wry smile.

He _hadn't_ always known what to say.

Gray could remember the first time he had seen her cry, alone by the riverbank. She had just been a cheeky cry-baby back then. And he had been a cocky brat.

He remembered how she glared at him, blinking away tears from her good eye. He hadn't known what to say then. So, he had just sat there instead. Blurted out the first thing that popped into his head, and just sat there with her.

She had been hurting, just like he was. A fellow traveler in a world of pain and loss. Turned out that he hadn't needed to say anything. Most of the time, that was just how they were. If anything, it was better to leave some things unsaid.

But today, Erza seemed to be in a sharing mood. And she seemed to expect him to say something. So he did what he always did and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"You don't have to be afraid." Gray's hand slid forward, moving to cup her icy cheek. It was too dark to see her expression, but he could imagine the way her brows drew down, framing warm, brown eyes.

He could feel the tickle of her hair against his collarbone. His breaths came fast and dizzyingly shallow.

"I'm not afraid. You're here." Delicate fingers joined his, as Erza placed her cold hand on top of his.

" _Erza_ ," he breathed, caught off guard. She smelled like a mix of strawberries and the cologne on his jacket.

He wasn't quite sure what he was doing, and if he'd thought it through, Gray would have stopped himself. But it was too late. His brain had stopped working a while ago.

Instinctively, he tipped her face towards his. He bent forward, resting his forehead against hers. He could feel her warm breath ghosting his skin.

Erza didn't pull away.

Slowly, Gray leaned in.

The world shook with a crashing of rocks.

Light flooded the cave.

Frozen in place, Gray blinked, trying to get his eyes to adjust.

"Wha—?"

"We found them!" shouted a familiar voice.

"Natsu?" asked Erza.

"Yep! You guys okay?" The Dragon-Slayer grinned broadly, adjusting his scarf.

"We're fine," said Erza, standing up and dusting herself off.

Gray scowled. He had never been less pleased to be rescued. Couldn't Natsu have waited two more minutes?

"You don't look happy, Ice Block. I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" asked Natsu.

Oblivious.

"Of course not," said Gray, sarcastically.

"Really, 'cause it looks like you guys were about to—"

"What're you talking about, Flame Brain?" asked Gray, smoothing the irritation off his features.

For an instant, Gray thought he spied a knowing glint in Natsu's eyes. But it disappeared so quickly that it must have been his eyes, still adjusting to the light.

Natsu waved impatiently. "Whatever, man. Come on, the others are gonna want to know you two are okay." Without waiting for a response, Natsu turned, marching back outside.

Gray's brain buzzed on overdrive. What had happened back there? What was he thinking?

He had just tried to kiss Erza.

Gray couldn't explain why he had done that. The very thought terrified him.

"Let's get going," said Erza, oblivious as usual. "I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Ladies first," said Gray, careful to keep his voice even.

Gray swallowed hard. They had _almost_ kissed.

He wasn't sure what he had expected, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed that they hadn't.

Outside the cave, the snow around them made the sun seem blinding. Gray squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

Happy flew up to him, wings beating frantically. "You guys are okay!" he chirped.

"Hey, Happy," said Gray, offering him a lopsided grin.

The Exceed looked up at him with watery eyes. "We were all so worried when you and Erza didn't come back on time!"

"Well, everything's fine now, right?" said Gray awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he should give Happy a pat on the head, or hug him, or what.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about, Happy," called Natsu, extending an arm to his Exceed partner. "Now, give him some space, all right?"

Happy nodded, launching himself into Natsu's arms.

Natsu had been joking with a tall, bald man, sporting a long, black beard—the legendary Iron Rock Jura, the Wizard Saint from Lamia Scale. He was probably the only one who could have managed to move all the rubble without bringing down the rest of the cave. As much as Gray hated to admit it, Natsu deserved credit for thinking to bring him along.

"Jura," greeted Gray. "Good to see ya, man."

"It is good to see you well," Jura said with a slight incline of his head.

"Guess we should be thanking you for digging us outta there."

"Think nothing of it. I was happy to help."

Gray wondered where Erza had gotten off to. Turning, he spied her talking with two figures in hooded cloaks. He recognized them as being from Crime Sorciere, Ultear's new guild.

"Erza!" The man's voice was slightly muffled by his hood, but Gray recognized him right away. And so did Erza, unfortunately.

"Jellal?!" she said, her face breaking into a giddy grin. "What are you doing here?"

"Heard you ran into a bit of trouble," Jellal was saying. "We came to see if we could provide assistance."

"I'm glad to see you're safe. Jellal was super-worried when Juvia called," chirped Meredy. Meredy was Ultear's little protégé.

Shifting uncomfortably, Jellal tugged his hood to cover more of his face. "I was no such thing," he said.

"Yeah, you totally were. Don't deny it!" Meredy said, giving her ponytail a sassy toss.

" _Meredy!_ " he hissed.

"Yes, Jellal?" Meredy giggled. "Look at you! Tryin' to play it cool!"

"I might have been a bit concerned. That was all."

But Gray saw no more, distracted by something blue and wooly launching itself towards him.

"Gray, darling! You're okay! Juvia was so worried!" she cried.

"J-Juvia?!"

"You must be exhausted! And you're injured!" she gasped. "What happened?"

"He still needs to breathe, Juvia," a familiar voice drawled. "You'll smother him if you keep this up."

"Sorry…" Juvia released her hold, taking a step back, looking surprisingly apologetic. She took a deep breath. "Is that better?"

"Lyon! What are _you_ doing here?" demanded Gray.

"Juvia asked me to come," Lyon said, a smug grin pulling at his lips.

"What for?"

"To rescue a certain idiot. What else?" Lyon crossed his arms.

"Then what are _those two_ doing here?" demanded Gray, glowering back at Jellal and Meredy.

Jellal had given Erza his cloak. She was wearing it. On top of _his_ jacket.

Wasn't Jellal supposed to be keep his face covered? He was a convict, for crying out loud!

"Juvia—That is, _I_ —I wanted to bring all the help I could get." Juvia spoke slowly this time, having managed to calm herself.

"This was your idea?" asked Gray. "I should have known Natsu wasn't this smart."

"Gajee and the others are right behind us too. They stayed to break-down the campsite while we went on ahead."

"The others?" asked Gray. "What others?"

"Cana, Loke, Laxus and Mirajane. Although, now I'm wishing that I had thought to bring Wendy as well," said Juvia, reaching up to tap at her chin thoughtfully.

"You brought half the guild!?"

"Juvia's persistent," said Lyon. "And very persuasive."

"Persistent. Right," said Gray. That was an understatement.

Gray had a feeling that he should have been flattered, but he couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"She almost brought half of Blue Pegasus too. I managed to convince her not to. You can thank me later," said Lyon.

Gray had to resist the urge to punch that infuriating grin off the other mage's face. It wouldn't have been the first time he fought Lyon, but he doubted he'd be able to win one-handed. For the briefest moment, he wondered if it would be worth it to ask Lyon about his one-handed Ice-Make technique.

Juvia stepped forward tentatively. She looked at Gray with wide eyes. "I'm glad you're safe."

Guilt twisted at Gray's stomach. He was being a jerk. Again.

Juvia had taken the time to mount a rescue mission. She had mobilized half the wizards in the guild for him. But all _he_ could do was complain.

He _had_ promised himself he'd try to be nicer to her, hadn't he?

Gray ventured one last look at Erza, chatting animatedly with Jellal. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her smile like that. He forced the stray thoughts and lingering regrets out of his head. There'd be time enough for that when they got home. For now, he focused his attention on the girl before him. She deserved that much, at least.

"Thank you, Juvia," he said sincerely. "I appreciate you coming after us. I don't know how long we would have been stuck there if it wasn't for you."

"You're very welcome!" she said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Now let's get you warmed up and we can go tell everyone you're okay."

Gray couldn't help but meet her smile with one of his own. "Yeah. Sounds good."

* * *

 ** _Ouch._ You didn't really think I was going to make it this easy for anyone (least of all these two), did you? I meant it when I said that no ship was safe. :) Although I'm guessing that long-time readers know to expect this sort of thing from me. lol. Keep this scene in mind and let it underscore every other interaction that Gray and Erza have...  
**

 **For readers who are newer to Mazeverse, the last part of this scene with Lyon and Juvia requires a bit of context. **Mazeverse-Gray's comment about trying to be nicer is a reference to his ongoing struggle with what to make of Mazeverse's Juvia. Juvia can be overwhelming at the best of times, and as some reviewers have noticed, he's not particularly receptive to that in this universe. Opinions aside, (whether good, bad or indifferent,)**** ** ** **based on what I've seen of real-world relationships, what Juvia's doing isn't effective. If anything it's counterproductive. Just about everyone I've met who has behaved with some flavor of this has gotten their hearts broken. (Most of my Mazeverse heartbreak is based on something from real life. I'll start sharing them in the A/N of the relevant chapters if the individuals involved allow me to.) The only conclusion I can draw is that t****** ** ** ** **hrowing yourself at someone is devaluing and really not the way to get a them to notice you (Jet & Droy, Edolas Gray, Happy... I'm looking at you guys, too.)**** If Juvia stayed like she does in canon, I could probably justify having Gray err on the side of unfriendly. But as she starts to exercise restraint, Gray isn't allowed to be openly hostile. This leaves him in the ************awkward position of trying to balance offering friendship, not sending mixed messages, and not coming across as a jerk. (Can you think of somebody you wanted to stay friends with, even though they were into you? And how awkward it got trying not to hurt them?) Gray's not in a fun place.  
********

 **Keep in mind, every 'relationship' in this Lyon-Juvia-Gray-Erza-Jellal chain is one-sided (hence the quotes). Except for the Jerza, which looks safe (for now). Yes, that's a promise. I'm going to send them up in flames and make them just as miserable as everyone else, lol. Hopefully, you can see what a train-wreck this is shaping up to be. ;)  
**

 **Love always isn't about holding on for dear life (everyone would be a loser if that's how they chose to play the game). Sometimes, it's about knowing when to let go. The question is, who's going to be smart enough to recognize this first?  
**

 **Next time, in our final chapter** ** _[Mazeverse] Snowbound,_** **a surprise awaits Erza at the guild. What is it:** _"I was told not to say," said Mira carefully.  
_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	7. Epilogue

**Happy Friday!**

 **Just wanted to let y'all know how much I appreciate the overwhelming support on this story. You guys are the absolute best! I'd encourage anyone who enjoyed this and thought it was worth the read to fave and review (or if you're feeling really creative, share the link somewhere). It's the easiest way to support an author and it helps to get their fics into the hands of others. :)  
**

 **darl** **ing** **spider : lol! These are all things I wish that I had known years ago. It would have saved me so much trouble (and misery, in some cases)! Sounds like there are at least a couple of you who are getting something from my ramblings, so I'll continue to share them when I think of stuff. Thanks for continuing to support! :)  
**

 **guest : Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Definitely keep your fingers crossed for Gray, though. He's got the most convoluted journey of dead-ends and detours (that's why it's a maze, right?) to find his happiness. He's going to need all the luck he can get. ;)  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

When Erza arrived at the guild the following week, Mira waved her over to the bar.

"Hey, Erza! This is for you!" Mira said brightly. She pressed a parcel into Erza's hand. It was small and neatly wrapped in plain, brown paper.

"What is this?" asked Erza.

"Why don't you open it and find out?" she suggested, eyes sparking with mischief.

"Do you know who it's from?" Erza worked at the tape with care.

"I was told not to say," said Mira delicately. "He said you'd know."

" _He_?" asked Erza.

Mira shrugged, a mysterious smile pulling at her lips.

Impatient, Erza tore at the wrapping, revealing the contents.

"Well?" asked Mira.

"Orange glow sticks," said Erza, showing the box to Mira. "The kind that light up after you snap them."

"How fun! Didn't we use to play with these when we were kids?"

"I do remember that, yes."

With all the pumpkins and bats printed on the package, this particular box looked like it had in the clearance bin since last Halloween. What a strange gift to receive…

"There's a note on the back," said Mira.

Erza flipped the package over. Sure enough, there was a blue sticky-note tacked onto the back of the box.

 _For emergencies. – G._

Erza fought a smile. "Idiot. If you didn't want to tell me who you were, then you shouldn't have signed it," she said, though she would have recognized the even letters of Gray's precise printing immediately, even if he hadn't.

"What do you think it means?" asked Mira.

"It doesn't mean anything," said Erza quickly. "Look, Mira, he couldn't even be bothered to peel the price tag off!" she added, pointing at the gummy sticker that marked the box down to 50 Jewels. "He was probably just messing around."

Mira shook her head. "Really? I don't think so."

"Fine, then. What do _you_ think it means?" demanded Erza.

"Gray's a planner. But this isn't the sort of thing you can plan for," said Mira. "He probably found these by complete accident. But here they are. They're even wrapped and everything. And _yes_ , for a guy, that totally counts as wrapping." Mira cut her off before she could protest.

"What's your point?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mira gave a teasing smirk. "Clearly, he thinks about you…" she said coolly.

"If you say so…" said Erza, turning away hastily, heat flooding her cheeks.

She could still feel the memory of Gray's arm around her.

It made her feel safe. Warm. Just like home.

For the first time, Erza didn't mind the darkness. She would even say that she had been grateful for it, because it meant that he couldn't see her blush.

* * *

 **If Natsu had done something like this, I'd probably be less impressed. But I think this kind of thing is cute coming from Gray. I love spontaneous gestures of affection. They don't have to be big or expensive. They just have to show you care. :)  
**

 **So, does this feel like a weird place to end a story? Almost like a great, big To Be Continued? Absolutely! :) This may be the last chapter of this fic, but Gray's (mis)adventures in love are far from over! Next week's one-shot that explores how much Juvia's changed and how that has affected her dynamic with Gray (I guess that makes it a Gruvia). The week after, we've got more Grayza coming with _The Problem with Ranged Weapons_ : a fic that examines their dynamic from Erza's perspective. Both can be found on my profile.  
**

 **Stop back next Friday for _[Mazeverse]_ ****_Protective_** **, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


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